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Real World Data Being Presented at EULAR 2017 Demonstrate Acceptance and Confirm Sustainability of Effectiveness, Safety and Adherence among Patients Switching To BENEPALI® (Etanercept Biosimilar of Biogen) from Reference Etanercept

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"Biogen continues to make a difference in the lives of patients through our portfolio of anti-TNF biosimilar products, which play an important role in ensuring more people have access to the treatments they need"

ZUG, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Real world evidence from investigator-initiated studies supported by
Biogen (NASDAQ: BIIB), demonstrating sustained efficacy and safety, and
high acceptance and adherence in patients initiating treatment with
BENEPALI® (etanercept), are being presented at the Annual
European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR) 2017, held 14–17
June in Madrid, Spain.1,2,3 Within the EU, approximately50,000
patients are currently being treated with anti-TNF biosimilars from
Biogen across 16 countries.4

Two real world studies evaluate the safety and efficacy of BENEPALI®
in patients following a switch from reference etanercept. In 1,548
patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA) or
axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) from the DANBIO registry, disease activity
was shown to be largely unaffected at 3 months post-switch and
comparable to that observed in the 3 months prior to switch.1
Furthermore, in a separate cohort of 92 patients with RA, PsA or
ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in the UK, a low rate of treatment
discontinuations due to inefficacy or adverse events was demonstrated at
6 months post-switch.2

Further real world data highlight the acceptance of BENEPALI® and
adherence to treatment among patients who were switched from reference
etanercept, according to a defined transition protocol. In one UK study
of 96 adult patients treated for RA, PsA or AS, 99% agreed to switch.2
91% of the group remained on BENEPALI® at 6 months.2
In another study of 643 patients with rheumatic disease in the
Netherlands, 99% (636 patients) agreed to switch to BENEPALI®
from reference etanercept. At 3 months, 36 of the 636 patients had
discontinued treatment.3 Both studies reflect that treatment
with BENEPALI® provides persistency within the expectations
of the reference product.2,3

“Biogen continues to make a difference in the lives of patients through
our portfolio of anti-TNF biosimilar products, which play an important
role in ensuring more people have access to the treatments they need,”
said Alpna Seth, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Global Head of the
Biosimilars Business Unit at Biogen. “Our ongoing efforts to forge
partnerships with healthcare organizations and systems have opened doors
for biosimilar adoption in a number of European countries, although more
can be done to set the right policy environment so that all countries
can unlock the full value of these therapies.”

The abstracts being presented at EULAR 2017, showcasing data from
Biogen-supported studies, include:

About BENEPALI®BENEPALI is an etanercept
biosimilar to the reference product Enbrel®.5
BENEPALI is approved in Europe for the treatment of adults with moderate
to severe RA, psoriatic arthritis, non-radiographic axial
spondyloarthritis and plaque psoriasis. BENEPALI is currently available
in 16 European countries.4

About BiogenThrough cutting-edge science and medicine,
Biogen discovers, develops and delivers innovative therapies worldwide
for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative
diseases. Founded in 1978, Biogen is a pioneer in biotechnology and
today the Company has the leading portfolio of medicines to treat
multiple sclerosis, has introduced the first and only approved treatment
for spinal muscular atrophy, and is at the forefront of neurology
research for conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s
disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Biogen also manufactures and
commercializes biosimilars of advanced biologics. For more information,
please visit www.biogen.com.
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Biogen Safe HarborThis press release includes
forward-looking statements, including statements about the potential
benefits of our products and programs and expected timing of results
from clinical trials. These forward-looking statements may be
accompanied by such words as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate,"
"expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "will," and other words
and terms of similar meaning. You should not place undue reliance on
these statements. Drug development and commercialization is a lengthy
and complex process, which involves a high degree of risk. Factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from our current
expectations include: the risk that unexpected concerns may arise from
additional data or analysis, or regulatory authorities may require
additional data or information or further studies, or may fail to
approve, or refuse to approve, or may delay approval of our biosimilar
drug candidates risks related to our dependence on third parties for the
development and commercialization of biosimilars; risks of legal
actions, regulatory scrutiny or other challenges to biosimilars; and the
risks of other unexpected hurdles. For more detailed information on the
risks and uncertainties associated with our drug development and
commercialization activities, please review the Risk Factors section of
our most recent annual or quarterly report filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. These statements are based on our current beliefs
and expectations, and speak only as of the date of this press release.
We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update any
forward-looking statements.